Korg TR-88 Music Workstation

The stellar performance of the TR-88 88-key workstation starts with Korg's proven Hyper Integrated sound engine”the synthesis system that has made the TRITON a world-wide standard. Add to that a comprehensive 64MB ROM that includes many new sounds as well as Korg classics, and bring it all up-to-date with totally new features including USB MIDI capabilities and reliable, portable SD card data storage. Packaged in a sleek black body housing Korg's classic 16-track sequencer, superb effects engine, it's all topped off with a clear and user-friendly interface.

Proven HI Synthesis

The TR Music Workstation is based upon the acclaimed HI (Hyper Integrated) sound that made the TRITON series the choice of professional musicians the world over. It boasts 64MB of PCM data (twice the size of the original TRITON), and a 48kHz sampling frequency that exceeds CD standards to deliver highly expressive and professional quality sound. This expansive amount of high-quality PCM data is enhanced by multi-mode resonant filters, abundant modulation schemes and sophisticated effects to create Korg's distinctively rich and brilliant sound with the warmth and fatness you expect. The TR-88 is also compatible with many TRITON family sounds and songs.

Abundant 64MB Sample ROM

The new sampled waveforms include stereo-sampled piano (taken from the same sampling session as used on the OASYS), electric piano, nylon-string guitar, acoustic guitar and strings. With multi-level dynamics and natural instrument articulations and vibrato, these waveforms produce expressive and realistic sounds. There's also a full complement of excellent drum sounds and patterns covering a broad range of styles for music production and performance. The TR-88 Music Workstation provides 470 high-quality multisamples and 518 outstanding drum samples, giving you a broad selection to work with.

Modulation Drives Distinctive Sound Creation

Modulation is what creates the motion, nuance and articulation that are such an important part of synthesizer artistry. The TR Music Workstation's Alternate Modulation provides a total of 42 types of AMS (Alternate Modulation Source) including EG, LFO, keyboard tracking, and joystick (as well as controllers such as knobs and pedals) to create extremely sophisticated sounds. These can be programmed in, or operated in realtime to give your sounds a high degree of expressive life.

High-quality Effect Section

With development borrowed from Korg's acclaimed D-Series digital recorders and TRITON workstations, the TR offers a broad palette of 89 types of effects to enrich your sound creations. The effect section consists of two Master effects, one stereo Insert effect, and one Master EQ (stereo three-band) together with a sophisticated mixer section that lets you control the routing of these individual components. Many of the effects offer realtime modulation of parameters and tempo-based synchronization, for total integration with your tracks.

Effect settings can be made independently for each Program, Combination, and Song, helping you bring your overall sound to perfect completion. With the optional EXB-SMPL sampling upgrade board installed, you can even sample through the Insert effect for even more sonic possibilities.

A Multitude of Fresh Programs and Combinations

The TR contains a wide range of new high-quality Programs and Combinations created by Korg's renowned international voicing team. The new stereo piano is velocity-switched between two levels, providing realistic response to your playing dynamics. Even more realistic electric pianos, choirs, guitars, strings, woodwinds and drums are also provided. There's also a rich collection of synth and sound-effect programs that are ideal for dance music. In addition to the 512 preloaded Programs, there are 128 GM-compatible programs and nine drum kits*. Unlike many other keyboards, all Program locations are RAM so you can adjust sounds to your liking, or replace them as you wish.

You can use up to eight Programs simultaneously in a Combination to create extremely rich and complex sounds. Combinations can contain "layers" that play multiple sounds simultaneously; "splits" that assign different sounds to different regions of the keyboard; and "velocity layers" that dramatically change the sound or switch Programs in response to your playing dynamics. Control assignments can give your sound and performance even greater impact.

Up to 512 Programs, 384 Combinations, and 24 drum kits that you create can be stored to internal rewritable memory locations. This data can also be stored or transferred to your computer via an SD card. Best of all, the TR is compatible with many sounds available for the TRITON and Karma keyboard products*, so you can enjoy the many commercial and user-created shareware collections available for the best-selling line of keyboards ever made.

The TR can load sounds made for the TRITON "Classic", Le and Karma music workstations”only Insert effect 1 is loaded, the other four are ignored. Karma settings will also be ignored. Sounds created on the TRITON Studio and Extreme can be loaded, but the accuracy/reproduction will vary when the sounds use multisamples/drumsamples that are not available in the TR.

A Comprehensive Music Production System

The TR's 16-track sequencer provides a capacity of 200,000 notes and up to 200 songs, creating a comprehensive music production system offering superb functionality and excellent operability. You can record in realtime or step time, and a host of powerful editing tools are provided.

Setting up for a new song is easy. Choose a template song (16 preset, 16 user) that has sounds and effects already set up; or use the Auto Song Setup feature to instantly set up the Program or Combination you are currently playing into a new record-ready song, complete with all effect and arpeggiator settings. Either way, you can begin recording immediately, before you lose that flash of musical inspiration.

The Cue List allows you to build your arrangement up in sections (up to 99), and then convert them into a single song for consecutive playback or to create new song structures. You can build songs using 150 preset drum patterns and 100 user patterns, as well as take advantage of the Track Loop function to loop specified regions of measures within each track.

Song data can also be saved on an SD card in SMF (Standard MIDI File) format 0 or 1, letting you exchange data with most MIDI sequencers. Share your ideas with other musicians who are computer-users, or move your songs into your computer for further editing, notation, or integration with other applications. Once again, Song data can be loaded from the TRITON and Karma line of music workstations*, for compatibility with tens of thousand of users around the world.

Only Insert Effect 1 will be loaded, the other four are ignored. Karma settings will also be ignored, as will Tone Adjust settings from the Studio and Extreme.

Expand Your Creative Song-writing Potential

The TR-88 Music Workstation contains powerful polyphonic dual arpeggiators as well as Korg's inspiring RPPR feature, offering amazing levels of expressive power and high-impact playing. Performances enriched by these unique composition tools can be recorded directly into the internal sequencer in realtime.

Ultra-powerful Arpeggiator

The richly expressive dual polyphonic arpeggiators generate powerful performances. In addition to five basic preset arpeggio patterns, the TR contains 200 patterns suitable for use with all different types of sounds, either fixed-note drum patterns or variable pitched parts. You can use one arpeggiator in Program Mode, and both arpeggiators simultaneously in Combi mode, and even record their output directly into the internal sequencer.

The possibilities are endless. For example, two different arpeggio patterns can be applied to two separate key-split sounds of a Combination, or you can use velocity to switch between two arpeggio patterns. Together with original patterns that you create, a total of 216 different patterns can be stored in internal memory. Arpeggios can be synchronized with MIDI clock, so they run in time with the internal sequencer, BPM-based effects, and more.

RPPR (Realtime Pattern Play/Recording) Function

The RPPR function lets you record a simple sequenced phrase or pattern, assign it to a key, and then play that pattern back in realtime simply by pressing the corresponding key. This gives you amazing possibilities for realtime performance; you can switch to different patterns with each key (and even use multiple keys to play different phrases simultaneously), or add additional patterns by pressing more keys. 150 preset drum patterns are built in, and 100 more can be created and stored for each Song.

USB Connector for Easy System Connections

The rear panel provides a USB connector (type B) that lets you make MIDI connections with your computer using a single cable”no MIDI interface needed. It's easy to connect the TR-88 to a computer-based DAW for recording, or to use it with notation software, educational courses and much more. Transmission and reception of system exclusive data is also supported, allowing you to manage sounds and other types of data on your computer for smooth and professional song production.

High-capacity SD Card for Efficient Data Management
The TR-88 Music Workstation uses compact and high-capacity SD cards to save and load sounds, sequences and sample data. The reading speed is extremely fast, so data management is quick and easy. SD card capacities from 16MB to 1GB are supported, and you can easily transfer data to your computer via readily-available card readers.

Inviting, Intuitive Interface

The TR-88 Music Workstation is designed to be not only powerful, but also smart and speedy. The 240 x 64 pixel LCD features an adjustable contrast for optimal viewing in any situation. You can quickly and efficiently find the sound you want by using the "category select" function. Category select is available not only for Programs and Combinations, but also for PCM waveforms and effect algorithms, speeding-up your sound editing. When searching for a desired Program, you can use the Audition key to automatically play a phrase that's appropriate for the sound being selected.

Controllers Maximize Your Performance Potential

The TR Music Workstation's 4-way joystick lets you freely vary the pitch and apply modulation effects such as vibrato or wah. There are also four assignable knobs plus two assignable switches and foot pedal jacks that you can use for applying alternate modulation, providing you with a full range of control that is indispensable for burning up the stage or cutting sizzling tracks.

The TR-88 is equipped with Korg's RH2 (Real Weighted Hammer Action 2) 88-note keyboard, which accurately simulates the playing touch of a grand piano, with key resistance getting progressively lighter as you move upward toward the higher notes. It's a keyboard that lets you obtain the fullest enjoyment from the many superb built-in piano and other keyboard sounds.

Upgrade to Full Sampling

Add the EXB-SMPL sampling upgrade option board and transform your TR-88 into a full-blown sampler. The TR-88's sampling mode supports 48 kHz 16-bit linear mono/stereo sampling, with a full range of high-end waveform editing functions including time slice, time stretch/compress, crossfade loop, and more. The EXB-SMPL is user installable and lets you connect external SCSI devices to the TR-88, so you can take advantage of a wide range of storage media as well as CD-ROM sound libraries (ISO9660 and AKAI-format discs are supported). You can load AIFF/WAV files and AKAI S1000/S3000 samples and programs, as well as Korg format data. (For AKAI programs, only key-map related parameters are loaded as multisamples).